International Science Community Association Research Journal of Engineering Sciences 2278 - 9472 3 6 2014 June 26 Measurements and Mapping of Soil Compaction for a Mechanized Centre Pivot Irrigation System 29 37 EN Shunmugesh K. 1 Department of Production Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Trichy, INDIA Panneerselvam K. 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Viswajyothi College of Engineering and Technology, Vazhakulam, INDIA Pramod M. 3 Amal George 4 Shri Kannan C 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Kongu Engineering College, Perundurai – 638052, Tamilnadu, INDIA Mohan Kumar KS 2 Sakeer Hussain M 3 DeepaPriya N 4 Saravanan K. 5 Saeedi Mojtaba 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Farhan Branch, IRAN Poostforush Mohammad 2 Plastics Dept., Processing Faculty, IRAN Polymer and Petrochemical Institute (IPPI), Tehran, IRAN Jiriyaie Salman 3 Msibi S.T. 1 Department of Agricultural Engineering and Land Planning, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P. O Box 3003, Morogoro, TANZANIA Kihupi N.I. 2 Ubombo Sugar Limited, P.O Box 23, Big Bend, SWAZILAND Tarimo A.K.P.R 3 > Research Paper 2014 5 19 2014 June 26 The objective was to investigate the influence of centre pivot wheels on compaction of soils in the vicinity of the tracks, its spatial variability and soil compaction prospects for mechanical harvesting operations at Ubombo Sugar estate. Two centre pivots were selected for purposes of the study, SMB manually harvested and EEL09 being mechanically harvested. Measurements were taken using an automated P5 Hand Penetrometer on sampled points and a handheld Juno SB GPS was used to capture positions of each data point. Statistical analysis was performed on compaction values using SPSS, soil compaction maps produced using ArcGIS software and penetration trends using HPen32 software and geospatial interpolation technique. Significantly higher soil compaction values at 0 to 15 cm depth (p0.01) were associated with EEL09 centre pivot with an average of 3210 kPa compared to those of SMB at average of 1389 kPa. A parallel trend was observed at depth of 0 to 30 cm where significant differences in soil compaction between EEL09 (average of 4987 kPa) and SMB (average of 2209 kPa) centre pivots were recorded. Soil compaction mapping indicates that there is a general decline in soil compaction as one move away from the wheel tracks for both centre pivots. These observations are in agreement with the results obtained in a study conducted in a cracking clay soil where cone index measurements indicated that there was no lateral spread of compaction in the traffic lanes in a controlled traffic system. The trend on both pivots also indicates that compaction is spatially variable owing to the heterogeneity of soils within a centre pivot and the differences in harvesting systems. Higher compaction values were obtained for the mechanically harvested centre pivot (EEL09) and an increase in compaction for SMB was due to machinery traversing in-field when collecting manually harvested sugarcane. The current trend of soil compaction among the fields will generally affect soil infiltration, water storage capacity, irrigation systems performance and subsequent reduction in sugarcane yields. Copyright@ International Science Community Association